Daughter of the Summer: EDIT
by tisvana18
Summary: "...It was against the law, and one little screw-up cost me my career and integrity. The unforgivable sin." -ZATR
1. Mistakes

_Okay, okay...I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but I've decided to abandon my FF retirement. For now. Why? Because I started to read a lot of my old stories and my brain went 'poof' so I'm editing them. For those of you that reviewed my story confused about the spacing— I figured out the problem. For those complaining about too much dialogue...I'm still fighting myself about balancing that, but at least now I'm making the story make sense._

_I don't own IZ, I will never own IZ, and if Viacom goes to me bitching then they can go jump in a ditch. If you're wondering why I made this into an entirely different story, it's to show the critics that I really did make an effort to improve._

_P.S. I am so happy IZ is back on Nicktoons Network._

**Daughter of the Summer**

**Mistakes**

**Tak**

It has been years since I last laid my eyes on this spinning ball of dirt and water, I remember the last time vividly. I was out for revenge and justice, out to claim what was rightfully mine. Now I have accomplished it, this planet is mine. I have won.

I received word that I would get another go at this planet a little over a month ago. I was trapped on the barren planet of Venus for almost two years desperately trying to make contact with the empire. Fortunately just as I was about to give up hope I was "discovered" by a human scout party.

Their deaths were quick.

I used their machines to contact the empire and bargain with the Tallest. I found out many different things in that transmission. Slowly I had begun to remember many of what was discussed: Devastis, my childhood, and Zim.

I shouldn't have made that transmission.

Purple is my father. I recognize how ridiculous that sounds since we are very near the same age, but Irkens have no age minimum with when DNA stored in the smeeteries may be used to create a smeet. I have less than any clear idea of how any of us came to acknowledge this fact.

Zim is Red's child. From what it appears, he seems to have been an accident created by an overly-eccentric female who would be murdered almost 5 years later.

A few other facts would become known to me, but for now I was anxiously staring at the blue planet. I could hear my blood pumping through the veins in my skull. I had waited so long to conquer this planet, and once it finally seemed within my reach...I had yet another obstacle facing me.

_What day is it?_

My body began to scream staring at the planet, my antennae fine-tuned to pick up on even the lightest sign of a male Irken. Once every year all the Irkens would go through a period of higher blood flow and increased sensitivity. This month is known as _Sumer-Loon: _Summer Rain.

During this month Irkens would mate and spawn a smeet. Most Irkens tended to ignore this month as a result of hormone blocks in the PAK that they would inject at the beginning of each episode.

But I, being stranded on Venus, had not received the supply. Zim would not carry this hormone, as it only affects females and is highly toxic to males (then again most males do not create high concentration of estrogen, and if they did I would gladly steal their supply)

_Nonsense! Anything is worth the trouble!_

I grimaced. My hands had grown clammy inside my silicon gloves as my heart-raced again. I have been hearing voices inside of my head since I disassembled Mimi, almost as if my own conscience has been mocking my fear and hesitation.

I put my hand on the controls, I had waited far too long to allow my chance to redeem myself to be distracted by my own hormones, and I didn't have the supplies to wait another month. I would have to risk sacrificing my own bodily health to please the Empire.

I locked my coordinates on the only place I knew, the most populated place on Earth, New York.

And turned the key.

**Skool, Earth**

I stood outside the building that I used in the past to gather information about this planet. It was of no use to me anymore I was free to destroy it, but _Sumer-Loon_ again held me standing in place. I swore I would not allow any disturbances to my mission, but my blood seemed to keep itself away from my muscles.

_Walk away_

My feet slowly started to move towards the door as I started to slip away from my self-control, my blood-pressure sky-rocketed and I realized why Irkens rely so heavily on medication.

"_Tak!"_

I snapped to attention on an impulse and turned around to see the Principal storming towards me. He had not changed much, only gained a few pounds and lost some hair. He also seemed rather upset with me.

"Tak, you are supposed to be in class!" He bellowed at me, his third chin splitting into a fourth. He was a _very_ fat man that didn't have a neck.

I despise having to sit in establishments such as these, I already know everything they can teach me and far beyond that. But I suppose for the convenience of my mission I might as well play along with this mortal. Give myself the satisfaction of his misery when he realizes I will be the one to enslave the earth.

"I'm not enrolled in any classes, Principal Witchrow, I've just returned from a two year trip to Liberia" I replied, surprising myself with how easily that lie rolled off my tongue. The principal looked me down, probably making sure my disguise was up-to-par with how long I've been gone.

The chills suddenly came back and I couldn't decide whether it was because I was nervous or anxious. I started to wonder if more time had passed than I thought; what if Zim had died? If he had been killed because he had been discovered? Would they know how to recognize Irken technology?

I stopped myself right there. Zim didn't even _use_ Irken technology for his disguise. And I know he hadn't been discovered or killed, I had intercepted the last transmission he would ever have with the Tallest on Venus. Only two years had passed, and humans were still as clueless as ever. I'll change that.

"Miss Tak, are you here to register for classes?" The Principal asked in his demeaning tone. I nodded and watched him intently as he walked away.

I suddenly let out a loud laugh at myself; who would honestly tell me apart from any human? I had allowed my disguise to mature perfectly. I had "grown out" my hair to mid-thigh, gotten rid of the Irken symbol on my breast (to make sure that even if Zim had screwed up, I would be in no danger) and switched to a lighter disguise.

I'd be perfectly astonished if Zim or Dib could even recognize me.

My gloves grew clammy again and my heart continued to race. I sighed and looked down onto the floor ashamed. That was little promise that I continued to show the same amounts of self-control of which I had always prided myself with. Without the hormone injection, I would be in very little control of my actions. I could expose myself in front of the entire populous.

_There's no danger of that. You can just wait this out and go to Zim's base tonight._

I gasped, the revelation in my head. It hadn't occurred to me earlier, but Zim had not complained of anything to the Tallest, even when he saw me on the next screen...He wouldn't have the female injection, no, but I could salvage what was needed to create a female version from the male version.

I shook the thought out of my head, there were too many risks. I would have to break into Zim's base and pray that he wouldn't be inside. Then I'd have to rely on the idea that he _did_ have the male injection, and if he didn't the effort would be in vain. And if he were inside and discovered me...I wouldn't control myself, and if he didn't have the injection, neither would he.

The Principal motioned towards me to come and fill out the registration form. I looked at the paper and chose all the classes I thought Zim wouldn't.

Then again, if he didn't have the injection...Was this all a setup?

**Theatre Class**

The classroom was large and grand by human standards, large, red, velvet curtains lined the perimeter of the stage, with smaller black ones behind it. The room was mostly empty excluding an attractive teacher looking over papers in the corner.

I glanced down at my "schedule" for the day. Her name was Maria Le Flauns, the theatre teacher. She glanced over at me and I analyzed her expression for any doubts...

She was tall and had bright red hair around the same length as mine, bright green eyes, and a stiff figure. I smiled nervously at her (I can never tell these days the looks of a skeptic and a believer in the "paranormal" after fully analyzing how Dib had acted towards me several years ago)

"Ah, you must be Miss Tak, if I am not mistaken?" She asked with a thick french accent, which seemed strange in a cosmetic sense, she looked as if she would speak with an Irish accent- if any accent at all.

I took a quick glance around the empty stage area again, and nodded. She smiled at my nervousness, and as a response she kissed me on the back of the head. I glared at her intently, I was not fond of teachers making romantic advances towards students, and with _Sumer-Loon_ I was not nearly accepting of it as a "friendly gesture."

"My apologies, sweet girl, but that is how some of us in the Theatre world tend to greet people we appreciate." Mrs. Le Flauns replied repeating the gesture on her index finger and thumb.

_Appreciate my ass._

"Mrs. Le Flauns, where is the rest of the class?" I replied in my fakest, sweetest tone I could give a member of this race.

"They are inside the classroom preparing for a play. We are performing Romeo and Juliet. Perhaps you would like to try out for Juliet?" She trailed off as if she were expecting me to say that it has been my life's dream to be Juliet.

Not anytime this month.

"I am grateful for the offer, Mrs. Le Flauns but I'm not the best actress." I lied. I was a marvelous actress and had invading not been my dream I would have joined some Meekrobian Acting Troupe and we could perform Miyuki's Plays across the universe for all of eternity. The longer this day goes on the more I've come to believe that.  
"Oh, but that is why we join Theatre! We wish to improve upon ourselves! And besides everyone in the class must participate in the play this year. The school doesn't have the budget to be sued again." She responded tossing me a script and pointing me in the direction of the classroom.

I stormed away toward the classroom. I almost didn't notice how my blood was rushing and how warm the temperature was as I opened the door. I almost fell to my knees as I saw who was behold me inside.

Zim and Dib. Arguing over who should play Romeo.

_Okay so now that I finally have the first chapter edited, a bit of explanation perhaps? No Mrs. Le Flauns is not physically based on me. People think I'm British not French. And if you wanted, yes there could be so many crude jokes on Sumer-Loon. Yes I know how Cliched it is that the play is Romeo and Juliet and yada, yada, been done a million times, yada...But it's a High-School. One that can't even spell its' own name correctly. And yes I'm splitting the story up into a lot more chapters than it originally was, for story development._

_-_o'-The Monocle is watching. (Inside joke)_


	2. Temptations

_So, are you liking my not-shitty version of DotS? (Wait...Crap, forgot the acronyms) I am. Okay so if you haven't noticed a good portion of the beginning will be told from Tak's POV, I like how she sounds now. Anyway so yeah recap. Sumer-Loon makes Irkens horny, Tak doesn't have the douche she needs to stop it, and she's in danger of raping Zim. Any questions? No? Okay then._

_Also if anyone trolls me on not specifying who the argument is with then I will stab you with a fork for being dumb._

_Also, anyone else heard the song We Could be the Same by MANGA?_

**Temptations**

**Tak**

"Zim would make a much better Romeo than a _filthy_ human like you!"

"No! You don't even know what love is!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

Zim and Dib continued to fight unaware of my presence; they still fought like they did two years ago. I was shocked by how Zim had grown. He had grown far past any Irken I had seen in person, other than that though...He was still completely recognizable.

I sighed as my episode seemed to be waning off. I crossed the classroom unnoticed before sitting down in a seat nearest towards the emergency exit (The exit that led into a classroom on protected sex with a loud teacher, but beggars have never been choosers) I looked down onto the script and cleared my throat and began to read...

"_Two households, both alike in dignity,  
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,  
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,  
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.  
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes  
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;  
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows  
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.  
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,  
And the continuance of their parents' rage,  
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,  
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;  
The which if you with patient ears attend,  
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend."_

I paused and read the prologue again in my head, smiling at this script. I had always had an appreciation of theatre, it was one of the few things I enjoyed in every species; the satisfaction of creating a unique universe and the ability to control it to lead in whatever direction you chose.  
I read over all of the lines and decided that this particular play must lead towards the inevitable death of the main subjects. A tragedy that triggered the end to the main conflict, the type of plays that I have always treasured most. I suddenly felt chills, and thought for a second that the first four lines of the prologue were somehow troubling and disconcerting towards my mind.

I glanced across the room towards Zim who had finally triumphed Dib in the argument by pushing him into a trashcan (and causing the entire room to erupt in laughter) and was now staring intently at me.

_I am just like you_

I shook my head. I _was_ just like him species-wise, I needed to be the opposite of him; a human, smart. His antennae twitched, his breathing quickened as if he had just discovered a horrid secret about me that somehow devastated him. As if he recognized me.

_Predation._

I was confused with that last thought that came into my head, but was all the more likely. It is unlikely for Irkens to experience _Sumer-Loon_ at the same time, they would have to share the same age and day, but the look that I was given was akin to a lion stalking a baby fawn. My hands grew clammy again and my blood-pressure rose.

_No! He's alert! He's looking for something!_

The commanding voice was crying out in vain, once an episode begins it can only be stopped by the hormone. The same hormone in which neither of us were in possession of currently. I averted my eyes down towards my script, but it was too late. Zim had noticed and made his way across the room as I read the part where Juliet stabbed herself.

Zim sat down in front of me to observe me more closely. Funny if he worked this hard on anything else he ever did in life then maybe he wouldn't be such a complete failure. Suddenly I saw a glint in his eyes that I had never seen (other than in a mirror in my own eyes when I was a smeet)

"Who are you?"

I shot up at his question and smiled playfully at him. I cannot fight _Sumer-Loon_ but I can play the game, and without revealing who I am either. And once this month is over (or perhaps tonight if I find what I'm looking for) I can conquer this planet and murder him separately.

"In the same predicament as you" I responded cryptically, the truth and irony dripping out before me. Zim tried desperately to analyze my body-language, but I kept my actions and dialogue obscure to prevent any further temptation.

Dib had taken notice of the exchange and also sat down in front of me, this annoyed me. I was perfectly fine with an Irken taking interest in me (even one as horrible as Zim) because it was temporary and during _Sumer-Loon_ we are truly equal, but a _human?_ That is just insulting.

"Go away Dib," I hissed at him, not taking the care to monitor my voice or posture. Suddenly Zim gained a look of horrified recognition on his face before falling over in shock. Dib had not seemed to notice (or if he did, he possibly took joy in it) and pulled out the script to discuss it with me.

I _could_ go into description of what we spoke about, and what the value of the conversation meant to me, and how Zim was completely out of the conversation...Or I could cut out my tongue and feed it to some hobo on the street. Either way shows my interest in what Dib was saying.

The rest of class continued with _one_ conversation of trying to understand the themes of the play. I took away from it that with fighting inevitably arrives death, and that death is the only true solution to the conflict of fighting

...His was that young love is foolish.

Not a pleasant place to spend my only hobby.

Finally as if some deity had been hearing my complaints, the class had finally ended. As luck would have it, this was my only class with Zim.

Once the day is over, I can finally deal with this problem and move on with my life.

**Outside Zim's Base, 2:55 a.m.**

I stared at the ugly blemish of the street with lust. It would never compare to my base, but for right now it is my only hope to continue my mission. Every breath I made while staring at it was deep and shakily exhaled. I could wait no longer, and I was aware of that fact. My hands trembled so terribly that I could barely contain myself as I exited the bush.

I tried to strut across the cul-de-sac without seeming out of the ordinary, but anyone looking at me could tell that I was not only frightened, but in pain. It never occurred to me the full extent of _Sumer-Loon_ included abdominal pain and other _worse_ symptoms. It was one of those events that made conceiving a smeet tempting, rather than suffering this condition.

_No, you know a smeet is worse_

I nodded. I could not care for a smeet, and it was illegal to stay on a Non-Irken Empire owned planet with one, for if we were discovered a smeet would quickly tell the native species everything it knew about the empire, they were not trained like us invaders.

But...I knew that trying to fix this issue risked that situation for me.

_No, it is necessary, it must be done_

I reached Zim's front door and turned around to look behind me. It wasn't too late, but if I went in here... I cringed in pain, almost falling down on the front doorstep...A scenario that would have seemed humorous to a bystander who was aware of the situation, but broke my will.

I gripped the doorknob

And I cast the die

I crept into the base unnoticed (or at least if I was noticed, the computer didn't care) and scanned the room. It was empty and pitch black, but carried the most disturbing feel to it that again I thought about turning around and making for my base, but I decided against it. This was far too important to sacrifice because of a little chill.

I felt around the walls and sofa for some sort of entry into his base. The walls were bare, excluding the painting of a monkey that seemed to follow my every movement, so I felt the couch.

I fell. Hard.

While I was trying to feel the sides of the couch, I tripped on some sort of camera (that probably belonged to Dib at one point or another, but for now seemed abandoned) and landed onto the couch. And _then_ the damned couch lifted up (which then knocked me off of it and I fell for a good three feet) into a tube.

And that tube was thirteen ft. deep. But it got me to where I was going (or at least closer to it) I slowly stood up, now reaching for any sort of light along the walls, but for the most part the walls seemed as empty as the ones upstair-

_Dammit!_

I quickly pulled my hand away and used the sparse lighting to survey my wounds. I had cut a deep gash into my hand, which was now bleeding profusely. But as I looked up, an endless amount of relief washed over me; I had sliced my hand on a hole in the wall- the type of hole cut from spider legs, it was a perfect square and just big enough for me to squeeze through.

I fell into a room that was most likely used for some sort of storage and sighed a huge sigh of relief as I noticed a _very_ small box in the corner. It was an Irken black box, the box used for transporting hormones- and unless Zim's been on some sort of gene therapy, this should hold the hormone that I desperately needed to salvage.

I picked up the box and shot it open; I didn't care anymore! If Zim found me, I could inject myself with the hormone and die! I looked inside the box and was immediately dismayed.

_One? There's only one?  
**"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?****"**_ I shouted, frustrated and confused. I could still salvage this, but I'd need a helluva lot more syringes before I could make enough hormone to last the entire month. Angrily, I threw the box against the wall, sputtering all the curses I knew in Irken and in English before finally collapsing to the ground in tears.  
-

"Dammit! It isn't fair!" I wept. I couldn't contain myself any longer, all the hate, all the spite, all the frustration and anger I built up for the world around me burst out in one long stream of tears. Why the hell did this only happen to me? Didn't that great deity up in the sky have someone else to pick on?

_Well, at least you aren't Zim_

I got control of myself for a few seconds at that thought. I wasn't a failure, I wasn't abandoned, and I surely to Irk wasn't hated by _everything_. In fact, I could survive _Sumer-Loon_, I survived two years without anything at all!

_Except that hormone._

Yes. All I had was that hormone. Food runs out, transportation eventually fails, but I only used that hormone once a year...And now my lack of preservation has made me pay the ultimate price: humiliation.

I felt a gnawing suspicion growing in my neck, so I stood up and took one more quick glance around after finding and grabbing the hormone. The room seemed as dark as it has always been, mimicking the soul of a woman (or man) who's risked everything for nothing at all.

I stood up with the tiny syringe and prepared to leave when the lights flickered on. I froze mid-stride and stared horrified as Zim walked in. From the weakness of his gait, I could tell he had probably been awakened by my gunshot onto the box.

Unaware of anything I could possibly say or do (short of killing him, and I wouldn't want to do that because then I would get mixed up in the authorities of this planet) I stood in the plain light, my disguise flickering as my brain froze.

"Tak?" Zim asked tired. (I smiled lightly at how he wasn't _completely_ oblivious) I nodded quickly, hoping that if I tried hard enough I could be gone before he could register he was being robbed.

Suddenly his eyes darted to the syringe in my hand, and he registered in that instant who I was and what I was doing. He leaped off the stairs directly in front of my position almost in one single move. He snatched the syringe.

My temperature rose immediately as I watched my only hope snatched away from me; I sliced part of Zim's face open and we collapsed onto the ground wrestling each other over the tiny four dollar vial that contained our only hopes to live normal lives, separately.

Zim worked hard to contain the bleeding in his face while keeping the syringe out of my reach, and when he sat up (I was curled around his waist, in a manner in which even the slightest twitch could snap my legs, and he couldn't use the syringe without me grabbing it) I finally noticed exactly how tall he had grown.

_No, not now! I can't start an episode right here!_

I suddenly gasped horrified and jumped for the syringe, breaking free I reached it.

I reached it and knocked it all the way across the room into a corner, where it proceeded to snap in two and empty.

My muscles relaxed as the sound of breaking glass sunk into my head. My breath quickened and what part of my wound was healed, now poured out as my blood-pressure rose. I looked up at Zim who shared my same horrified expression, and breathed deeply.

Zim is in the middle of an episode, and I am just starting mine. I looked around at my surroundings, Me on top of Zim, tightly holding each other, watching our self-control drain out in-front of us.

Zim and I fell on the floor and stared into each others eyes and fixed our problem using the only option we had left.

He slowly started to peel my skin-tight dress away from my breasts.

_Suck -_-' you all thought you were going to read a roaring sex scene, didn't you? Well I can't, Irken sex is so much more complex than humans. So, they've mated, I feel so sorry for Zim and Tak... I'll reward anyone who gets the camera reference that I inserted. _

_If you are confused on how Tak fell thirteen feet, rolled into an elevator and then fell through the roof without being unconscious, just look at it this way: She falls thirteen feet, hits head, gets mild concussion, stumbles into elevator and falls, she probably wouldn't of noticed the stumbling. The hole was there from Plague of Babies. READ AND REVIEW OR I WILL RETURN THE UNEDITED VERSION._

_P.S. I am so very sorry I have hardly given anyone, but Tak any lines here, but the beginning is mainly about her. Zim'll have more lines next chapter._


	3. Sin

_I may have lied about Zim having more lines here. I am also changing a key scene in the story due to ideological sensitivity. That's right, the infamous abortion scene. It is gone. I'm also going to update IDOF: EDITED soon. I'm thinking this entire story (Y'know when it isn't Lon and Sumera) should be from Tak's POV._

**Sin**

The faint smell of freshly-made waffles brought me out of my newly-impregnated coma. I sat up and surveyed my surroundings— I was no longer in the cold of the storage room, this new area was warm and welcoming. I was covered in a thick spider-silk comforter. I had never slept near anything made of spider-silk, it was for the royal— an experience I had not the privilege of attaining.

I slowly slid the fragile comforter off my figure. I was wearing silk of the same quality but in the form of a breast wrap and tights. Someone had woken up before me and dressed me while I was asleep.

My memory failed to recall my location so I stood up and caressed the features of the room. It was a fine example of Irken architecture, triangular columns that curved inwards at the dome-shaped ceiling, curtains that line the archway to the main hall of the base, Most of the features were colored a deep wine or was made of white marble. It made me long for my old house on the surface of Irk. It made me nostalgic.

It was sickening.

I opened the chest-of-drawers that was located near the doors, beautiful new silicon dresses filled it. Frustrated, I slammed the drawer closed. The person responsible for all of this had been trying to impress me and that itself was aggravating. I will not be earned through the toil of a peasant.

Putting my anger aside, I dressed myself in the new dress; It was a fine shade of Indigo with the sleeves being a shade of lavender- Overall it was a richer color than my old dress, ruined with the stains of ash and soot from life on Venus.

I walked out of the room into the main living area of the base. It was not near as grand as my room had been, yet still failed to give me any indication to where I was. I remember, yes I am on Earth, I couldn't ever forget the stink that radiates from every inch of this spinning ball of mud, no, and I know I mated the previous night...

It was then that I realized where I was. I was in the depths of Zim's base. I mated with _Zim_. I am pregnant by **_Zim_**. I had committed one of the greatest sins known to the Irken Empire— seconded only by treason.

I had fraternized within the Elites. I had slept with an Exile, a traitor to the Empire; I was a prostitute. I was worse still than even that.

I remembered what had happened... I had lost the hormone and we...mated... Surely to Irk the Tallests would understand! They had to understand! I'm the daughter of Tallest Purple, he'll have to understand!

But no, no matter how much I told myself that they would understand, that they wouldn't doom me to the same fate as Zim, I knew that neither of them cared. I was an Invader; I wasn't even that, I failed the test. I too am considered an exile, and no one will give a damn.

_What are the charges that are brought against an Irken for fraternization?_

I collapsed onto the couch, devastated. I could be killed for this— a defect. Simply agreeing to take on the smeet is grounds for execution, and killing the smeet is known as murder; it is a catch-22. I had one way to escape inevitable execution; I had to forfeit my citizenship to the Irken Empire.

That meant I would no longer have any means of protection, should I be discovered I would not be missed. The Empire would never care to find out what happened to me.

I lowered my head and prayed. Irkens are not the most religious of species, but we pray to the Control Brains when prayer is appropriate. I wasn't about to pray for my Empire to forgive me, it is a great sin to pray in futility, I was praying for the health of my child. For it to be wise, to be nothing like it's father.

Like a voice whispering in the back of my head, I heard their reply. The Control Brains are different from any other deity in the way that they always respond to one's prayers clearly and vocally. They are unbiased and all-knowing. They refused my plea.

"_Sin,"_ the voice whispered. _"Sin"_

So say the Control Brains. We are sin.

_This might be among the shortest chapters I've written in a while, but I needed to get another chapter out here no matter how short. If you need to find out what happens next, read the unedited version. You get a cookie if it makes any sense to you._


	4. Honor

_I shall now insert another installment of DOTS (also, I finally remembered all the correct acronyms) and this chapter is of course the meeting with the Tallests. I will try to update more, I've been preoccupied with moving._

_I don't own IZ. IZ owns itself. (along with Viacom inc.)_

**Honor**

I lifted my gaze onto the elevator away from the living area in which I was seated. The smell of waffles had now transmogrified into the sickening scent of frying bacon and omelets. One with such an acute sense of smell such as I might have even picked up on the faint scent of toast. The smell was nauseating on my already fragile squeedily-spooch.

I felt the urge to vomit subsequently and was dismayed at the apparent lack of a bathroom. As much as I strongly disliked my predicament, and as much as I hated Zim, or how much I hated being impressed, I most certainly did _not_ want to empty the contents of my digestive system over the warm, magenta tile.

_You still haven't decided what you're going to do..._

I glared at the sound of the voice. I thought that I would hear the last of _her_ when Sumer Loon ended. Briefly I held the hope that maybe, _just maybe_, that the smeet didn't take... By some miracle it could occur, but then I would still be going through Sumer Loon. I looked down at my stomach which was already spotting just the most subtle of bumps. It's going to be a long four weeks.

_Why not simply kill the smeet? As long as you pretend the smeet didn't take, no one will notice..._

I sucked in my breath. "Kill the smeet?" I asked the voice. It didn't reply, but instead left me back inside this damned silence that's been haunting me for years. Just like all the times before the silence was cold and left me to think about the world.

I didn't have very long though. The elevator had reached the ground floor of the base before I had time to think about what I would even say to Zim.

Inside the kitchen was GIR, devouring the bacon that he had cooked. I glared at him remembering the one time I tried to reassemble Mimi, how he had poisoned her so violently. Begrudgingly I joined GIR at the table, deciding that between my fatigue and nausea it would be better to sit down.

Zim was in the living room, most likely having realized the same 'thing' I had. He looked up and glanced at me before returning to his brooding. I'll admit it was rather surprising that he had not waltzed over and started screaming about his greatness to me, but I was glad to have the silence — even if it were only because Zim was just trying to word how he would praise himself.

My squeedily-spooch lurched. I was going to have a child with this...this _disgrace?_ But as I only wanted to escape this hellhole, I bit my tongue to keep from beginning a conversation with Zim.

The sky outside the window is overcast and dreary, much like my attitude towards motherhood. With any luck there would be rain. Strange as it seems — despite my hatred of this planet, and my desire to remain dry and uninjured, I always found rain... interesting in a way, it brought death to my people, and we had to place our planet in a state of permanent drought, even here it brings death in swift, merciless downpours. Yet it also is the harbinger of life and meaning.

_And where there is rain, there are "miscarriages"_

A small roar of thunder outside distracted me from my thoughts. GIR had finished engorging himself and looked concerned at me.

"Why scary lady so quiet?" He asked in his annoying, childish manner.

"I was just thinking," I started, "about the rain..."

GIR stared at me, confused and anxious in a way I hadn't really recalled seeing him. His expression perplexed me for a moment, almost as if his eyes accused me of being crazy – Zim surely had told this creature about the rain, if it had not seen the effects with its own eyes. And then, just as quickly as the eyes were to judge me, they left, focusing on a more trivial task involving bacon and sink faucets.

Sometimes I miss Mimi, I'll admit it. There's no connection quite like that of an Irken to her SIR unit. They are our loyal servants, but in the end they become our only friend. An invader can conquer a million planets and only become locally famous, but to a SIR unit their masters are worthy of worship – at least one with a competent master; they usually do away with the...less than suitable ones... Mimi would have known what to do about this smeet.

When I returned from my thinking, I realized that my hand had been drawn to my center squeedily-spooch. Zim had also strutted in (his strutting hampered by the fact that he was now almost as tall as the door, therefore his legs had to be thrown to correctly march.)

"Tak." Zim began – greeted, but every sentence he says comes out as a bark or a run-on.

I refused to answer, opting to give him an exhausted, dismissing look-over with my eyes – body language was my preferred mode of communication. Ever since I was cut off from the rest of the universe, speaking had lost its luster.

"I...I feel that as...Eh... I am not quite sure how to ask this, but..." Zim stuttered. I rolled my eyes at him, I haven't really ever heard him stutter or hesitate before, but it was a sign of weakness and it disgusted me.

"How are you feeling?" Zim finished, the words coming off with just the right amount of venom and spite. I glared at him and his defective "worries" (if it could even be called that seeing as he could care less about how I am.)

"Fine." I spat. Zim glared in response to my seemingly rude tone of voice I use with him. I'm rather sure that if I thought long enough, I could find something about him or this base that I liked so I wouldn't have to sound so rude – My objective of the day is to _not_ cause a confrontation.

"...Zim has been thinking!" Zim announced loudly, "Tak there is something I have to say to you, and because of our past _rivalry_ I am sure that this is as uncomfortable for you to hear as it is a trouble for me to say..."

"Just spit it out already!" I hissed. I hated his rants they always flowed too slow and incoherently and _especially_ on this morning I had trouble suppressing the urge to punch him in the face.

"I am sorry about what happened on Devastis..." Zim spat in the closest attempt he could manage of sincerity. He looked greatly uncomfortable, trying to accept his own concession. "Now with that dealt with, I will be expecting an apology for you interfering with the plans of Zim!"

"You're a disgrace." I spat, standing up and walking towards the front door. An apology? Did he actually expect me to apologize to him? I would sooner rip my own tongue out! It would be degrading to apologize to him! Everything that happened between us was _his_ own fault! "You interfered with _my_ plans first! You put yourself in the way of the Tallests! That is why you are not a real invader."

"Computer! Restrain _Tak!_" Zim ordered, hissing out my name in great contempt. In my still-groggy state, I wasn't as agile as I was the first time that we met. I was unable to dodge out of the way of his computer's tentacles, and as a result was easily trapped. "You are wrong Tak! Oh so very wrong! You are the fake invader! You're the one who came here— into the home of Zim! You want revenge because you are inferior and below the standards of a _true_ invader! You blame Zim because you cannot understand my brilliance! The Tallests couldn't make use of a mind such as Zim's! This is why I have chosen to conquer _Earth_ in the name of Zim! This planet is mine to rule and mine alone! I am simply allowing you to inhabit it!"

"You destroyed your own planet!" I argued. "You've gone native! You have no honor!"

"Computer! Release _Tak_, but do not allow her to leave the base!" Zim commanded, instantly freeing up my arms and legs. I fell to the floor and Zim picked me up with his PAK legs. He carried me to the elevator with him, where he waited patiently to arrive at the lowest floor. "You claim Zim has no honor because I have talent beyond the comprehension of the Tallests! If the Tallests approval is what Tak wishes, then I shall make sure that you understand where you stand in the Irken Empire!"

"You can't contact the Tallests!"

"Welcome to the Empire of Zim!" He suddenly shouted. "Zim has already accepted that Zim is far too amazing for our— our puny Tallests to handle! Tak is the one in need of help!"

"Zim, I'm pregnant." I stated, making him glance at me in vague curiosity. "They will kill me."

"Excellent!" He laughed. "Zim will require an heir to rule the planet with me! You have done your job well, _Tak._"

I didn't say anything more. Irk, how I wanted to strangle the little bug. Even with the smeet, bringing the Tallests his head on a platter would certainly be more than enough to forgive me. If I brought the Earth and its snack capabilities with me— as well as the other possibly useful planets in this system, they would make me an official invader for sure.

At least that's what I kept telling myself. I was in the same boat with Zim right now, and there was nothing that I could do about it. Nothing to save face with the Tallest. Nothing to prove I wasn't a defect. All there was was shame and rain.

_The rain will wash away your sin._

In the name of my Empire and in dying with honor and pride, I turned on my heel and ran back into the elevator while Zim was distracted with his ego. Once he realizes that his bargaining tool or _whatever_ he thinks I am to him has disappeared, I will be long faded into eternity.

_Woo! I finally updated! It's been a long time coming since I have finished writing two novels. It will soon be available on Amazon for Kindle, and I would appreciate it if you would look it up. Before it comes out though, show your support by liking/sharing/following the page "Orange Ribbons" on Facebook. I will put the link on my author's page. However, look up "Orange Ribbons" on Facebook and it should be the first thing that pops up. Thank you, and I shall continue updating._


	5. Defective

_Well, I suppose that I shouldn't be expecting tons of reviews and views after I took such a long hiatus from fan fiction writing, but c'est la ville. I am, however, very grateful for those that follow the story and continue to follow, including my dear friend who has followed my writing since back in the dark ages, where periods and commas were a foreign concept to me._

_As always, Invader Zim is property of Viacom Inc._

**Defective**

The moment that I stepped out into the monsoon, I regretted my decision. The scalding, searing pain of acid rain ripping and snarling at my flesh and shredding it as it rolled down my face and hands. I kept on walking though. It didn't matter if anyone saw me. It didn't matter if the humans discovered Zim. All that mattered was that I end it, that I destroy any twisted plan of Zim's to use me.

As I fell down onto the concrete, Irk how I regretted my choice.

I never should have gone through so much trouble to spite Zim. As wrong as he was about everything else, and as idiotic as he was, he was right about exactly one thing: I was out for revenge. I never should have come to Earth, and I never should have begged for that third chance that in the back of my mind I knew was completely impossible to fulfill. Irk, how much I would have rather waited and retaken my test like a good Irken girl should.

My very actions, the determination to prove to my Tallests and the Control Brains that they were wrong... those were thoughts that never should have crossed through my mind. It only proved their points.

Then I had to take it a step farther. I had to know, what monster could have spawned Zim? Then, in my following shock, I had to know; what monster could have spawned me?

_Your actions have proven your condition_

I couldn't be a defect though! The Control Brains were wrong! The Tallests were wrong! Zim was wrong! Mimi was wrong! They were all incorrigibly wrong! They didn't know what I was capable of! Here I am, standing in the rain for a group of people that didn't understand the first thing about me! I am burning to death for them, and they see me as nothing more than defective. I'm not defective. Zim is defective...

And in rejecting the notion that they can decide who I am, I have become defective.

I screamed and fell to the ground, no longer able to withstand the downpour of glass shards and taunting light that was bearing down on me in full force. I swallowed my honor and started crawling back towards Zim's base. It was freezing and my joints were sluggish and grew weaker with each pull that dragged me back towards safety.

It was then that I was slowly lifted from my pitiful mound on the ground. When I glanced at my savior, I was far less than pleased to discover that a pair of red eyes were leering back down at me. I slurred out a protest of indignation, but Zim carried me inside and everything else faded into a blur of motions and noise fading in and out of blackness.

Just as I had earlier that day, I opened my eyes to the sight of deep wine and marble architecture, only this time it was accompanied by the mocking yet oddly concerned eyes of my eternal tormentor.

"Tak, I don't think your puny brain understood what I said earlier." He barked, marching closer to me and then leering at me with amusement. "You should feel honoured that the great and mighty Zim has chosen you to partake of this glorious achievement!"

"Honoured?" I spat, dumbfounded. "You're a defective failure. If you were an Irken worthy of honour, you would have ended your life a long time ago. It would spare me from having to do it for you."

"Silly Tak," He laughed, touching my antennae and making me twitch them painfully. "If you were going to kill me, you would have done so already. Tell me, Tak, what have you learned about the humans?"

I chose not to answer him.

"These Earthworms believe in this thing they call 'evolution'" He began, pacing back and forth all the while eying me. I was not comfortable with this; Zim had changed into someone almost unrecognizable since he discovered that his mission was a lie. His insanity started to hide behind a guise of intelligence. "The Tallests sent Zim to this mud ball to die. However, I have survived for years and have started building the Empire of Zim! I have worked harder and caused more destruction than any other Irken Invader, and they decided that Zim was defective!"

"Because you are." I growled, looking down scornfully at my squeedilyspooch. "You're defective, and you're crazy."

"The Tallests could not handle the amazing might of Zim!" He grandstanded, puffing his chest out and smiling maliciously at me. "They couldn't understand how valuable a resource you are either! They deemed you defective! That is why they sent you out here, with me."

He paused momentarily, collecting his thoughts.

"Tak, you and I are the evolved members of the Empire!" Zim reasoned. "You are far superior to any Irken I have ever met! You are brilliant, capable, and a valuable ally in aiding Zim's mission! I am far superior to you in every regard, so therefore I am proposing a partnership! On this planet there is a breeding contract between two members of the species. You will provide me soldiers for my Empire, and you shall have all the benefits as my... erm... I forget what it is called, but you will be protected from the Irken Empire and I shall see to it that you have everything that you need to produce healthy smeets!"

Was this idiot actually thinking that I would enter into a breeding agreement with him? I was not going to forfeit my citizenship to the Irken Empire to serve under his Empire of Fools. Especially not to produce his children— I was disgusted with myself for having produced one.

"Zim shall give you some time to contemplate my offer!" He announced, pleased with himself and marching out of the room. However, once he was outside, he took one step back inside and folded his arms. "If Tak so wishes, I shall arrange for you to speak to the Tallests. It can be stressful for a simple mind like yours to completely understand what an amazing offer this is!"

My own loneliness had suddenly taken control of my mouth, and I uttered words that I should never have spoken. The mere act of saying them was signing my name in blood to a contract that I would rather die than fulfill. However, as idiotic as Zim was, there was one thing that he was good at: fixing Irken technology.

"If you can fix MiMi," I answered, looking down at my hands which had toiled many days and nights over that same task in vain. It was probably the smeet that made his arguments all the more compelling towards me. "Then I will enter your breeding agreement. However, the breeding will be at my discretion, and I must be allowed to speak with the Tallests once MiMi is repaired."

"Excellent." Zim remarked, closing his eyes in a large smile. "You will not regret having allied yourself with Zim! Just make sure that you hold up your end of the bargain! Or else face the mighty wrath-"

"Of Zim." I finished dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, I get it already."

_Gah. I feel like this chapter could have been better written. It's very short, but I'm writing this on no sleep. Oh well, the next one will be better._


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